Improvement in molds for producing inlaid tiling



l J H THORP l "Mold for Producing Irl-laid Tiling'.

No. 211,277.f

N.PETERS, PHOTOMTHOGHAFHER WASHINGTON D C 'rien .ATET

JAMES H. 'r11-roar, or New YORK, N. Y.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,277, dated January 7, 1879 application iiled October 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, J AMES `HARRY THOR?, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a Mold for Producing Inlaid or Mosaic Tiling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my mold for producing Mosaic tiling. Fig. 2 is a diagonal vertical section through the center of the same, with the tile in place. Fig. 3 is a detail to be referred to.

To produce a mold of simple construction which may be conveniently employed in the manufacture of inlaid or Mosaic tiling is the object of my present invention, which consists in a mold provided with one or more tubes, which enter and pass through its bottom, and are elevated above its surface and depressed toa level therewith; these tubes, when elevated, in connection with the portion of the bottom of the mold inclosed thereby, forming receptacles for containing the artificial stone or other substance ofthe desired color, placed therein in a plastic state, the shape of the tube or tubes corresponding to the outline of the igure or figures of the design to be produced.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents the base of the frame-work which supports the mold, and a a a a b are posts secured to the base and rising vertically up therefrom, the form in cross-section of each of theoutside posts, a, being that of a diamond, and that of the central post, b, a circle. These posts extend up through a horizontal plate, B, which rests on the top of the two sides c c of the frame-work. The upper surface of this plate B and the upper surfaces of the several posts a b lie exactly in one and the same horizontal plane with each other, and form the bottom B a b of the mold, while the strips del e c, connected by screw-rods h, and clamped together by screw nuts i, provided with handles 7c, forni the sides of the mold.

larger than the posts themselves, so as to leave a narrow space all around between each post and its aperture, for the reception and passage of the upper ends of vertical met-allic tubes Z l l l m, each having the shape of the post which it incloses, the lower ends of these tubes l m being secured to a movable plate or carrier, C, which is interposed between the base of the frame and bottom of the mold, and is also provided with apertures ,corresponding` in shape to that of the posts a b, which pass through them, by which construction the metallic tubes lm pass up and down upon the posts when the carrier is raised and lowered; and the upper ends of these tubes, when raised, in con nection with the portion of the upper surfaces of the posts ab inclosed thereby, form recep tacles n, for containing the material r, Fig. 2, of the desired color, in a plastic state, to form the gures of the design to be inlaid in the tile.

D, Fig. 3, is a thin metal plate, of the size and form of the bottom of the mold, and provided with apertures l?, of the size and form of the outsides of the tubes Z m, and is intended to it thereover when elevated, and rests on the bottom of the mold, the object of this plate being to prevent the dropping of any ofthe colored substance upon the bottom of the mold while the receptacles n are being lled.

Vhen it is desired to produce a Mosaic or inlaid tiling of artificial stone in colors, the carrier G is elevated by hand, or otherwise, to cause the tubes lm to project up above the surface of the bottom B a b of the mold, and the thin plate D is then placed thereon.

The substances, (preferably sand and ce mena) in suitable proportions, mixed in water, in a plastic state, and of the colors desired, are then placed separately within their re spective receptacles n, and after being allowed to partially harden or set, the thin plate D is i removed, and the remaining portion of the mold is iilled with the substance of a color which the chief portion of the tiling is intended to have, after which the carrier is depressed so as to withdraw the tubes, and the substance in the mold is tamped and smoothed off level with the top of the sides of the mold, when,

The apertures in the plate B through which 'after being allowed to harden, the sides d c of the several posts a b pass are made slightly the mold are separated, and the tile removed and placed in a position right side up to dry, the operation of tam ping,` causing the material to spread and fill up the narrow spaces which otherwise would he left outside the colored figures by the Withdrawal of the tubes lm', thus rendering the Whole tile solid and coinpact throughout its mass.

'What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A mold for producing Mosaic -or inlaid tiling, provided with one or more tubes, lm, of any shape to form the design required, in combination with the bottom B,tl1rough which they pass, and one or more posts, a b, Whereby one or more receptacles, n, are formed, for containing the colored substance whichforms the gure or figures of the design to be inlaid, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the base A, With its posts a b, the carrier C, With its tubes l m, the mold With its removable sides d c, and its bottoni B, with its apertures for the reception of the posts a b and passage of the tubes lm,

JAMES HARRY THORP.

In presence of- ALFRED VANsIoKLE RAMsEY, CHARLES EDWIN DAVIS. 

